Sarah picks Tim Grussendorf for Kim Elton's Senate seat

[Blue_In_AK]

http://community.adn.com/adn/node/139845

From David Hulen in Anchorage --

Gov. Sarah Palin today announced Tim Grussendorf, a legislative aide from Juneau, is her a choice to replace Kim Elton in the Alaska Senate.

Grussendorf is chief of staff for Sen. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel. Now he must be approved by a simple majority of the nine Senate Democrats currently seated.

In picking Grussendorf, Palin is rejecting Rep. Beth Kerttula, D-Juneau, the only name recommended to the governor by southeast Democratic leaders after Elton resigned to take an Interior Department position with the Obama administration in Washington, D.C.

Earlier this month, Palin invited other applicants to apply, saying she thought there were many qualified Alaskans.

Grussendorf is the son of former House Speaker Ben Grussendorf of Sitka, who now sits on the state Board of Game.

<snip> - press release follows

Just one more in the series of "F yous" that Sarah has delivered since her return from the campaign.

[Ken Burch]

1. Well, the other Dems can veto him.

It depends on whether Hoffman will be able to force him through.

Obviously, if it stands he'll have to be stopped in the next primary, since Grussendorf is a DINO.

[Blue_In_AK]

2. Yes, I read somewhere that he has previously been a registered

Republican. And just exactly what does it mean that he's in "aquaculture"? A FISH FARMER???!!! God forbid.

[Ken Burch]

3. Perhaps it's a ploy to have Lyman Hoffman break the Senate coalition

so that Sarah can get one that's dominated by the GOP right, with the "minority minority" of Dyson, Bunde, Therriault, Wagoner and Wilken suddenly in charge.

Am I being paranoid to think that?

[Blue_In_AK]

4. No, it occurred to me, too.

[steven johnson]

5. Alaska Democrats aim to block Palin's state Senate pick

This isn't happening without a fight.

Gov. Sarah Palin has appointed legislative aide Tim Grussendorf to the state Senate seat that opened when Juneau Democrat Kim Elton resigned. It's a controversial pick that Grussendorf's own party says it will try to block.
Palin had to pick a Democrat from Juneau for the seat under state law. But Grussendorf was a registered Republican until just weeks ago, then switched to being a Democrat to qualify for the appointment. Grussendorf now needs a majority vote of the nine Democrats in the state Senate to approve his appointment.
Juneau Democratic Party officials want state House Minority Leader Beth Kerttula to get the Senate seat instead and are rallying party leaders statewide.
"We're asking them to call their senators and encourage their senator to stand behind Beth Kerttula and vote this nomination down," Rich Listowski, a state Democratic Party central committee member from Juneau, said after Palin made the pick Sunday.


Alaska Democrats aim to block Palin's state Senate pick